Hakby james watts



H. J. WATTS. COM PENSATING sum COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2. 19!!- PzitentedSept. 30, 1919.

HARRY JAMES WATTS, OF TURTLE CREEK, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMPENSATING SHAFT-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 30,1919.

Application filed August 2, 1917. Serial No. 184,029.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, Hanar JAMES WAT'rs, a citizen of England, residingat Turtle Creek, in the county of Allegheny and Stat of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CompensatingSl1aftCouplin,, of which the following is a s ecification.

his invention relates to shaft couplings of the'compensating type anddesigned primarily for use for connecting a pair of shaft-s togetherwhereby the axes thereof will be positioned in parallel planes, althoughit is to be understood that the coupling can be employed for anypurposes wherein it is found It')Pll('-Ill)l6, and the invention has forits 0 ect to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set fort l, a couplingof such type including means for coupling twoelements to other wherebythe axes of said elements will extend in parallel planes and whether thebot-h elements of the pair are to revolve or are stationary.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a compensating couplingwhich is simple in its construction and arrangement, capable ofefficiently operatm a driven element and a driving element w on theformer is oil-set or eccentrically disposed with respect to the latter,strong, durable having means to rcduce'frlction to a minimum when inoperative position, readily setup in operative position, and comparativey maspensive.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of anovel construction, combination and arran ement of parts as hereinaftermore speciicully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawingswherein is shown an ei'ubodiment of the invention, but it is to beunderstood that changes, "arintions and mmlilivalious oan.l)e resortedto which come within the scope of the claims hcreunu) up ended.

In the drawings wherein ite reference charm-tors denote correspomlingparts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a compensating shaftcoupling in accordance with thisinvention showing the adaptation thereofin connection with a pair of shafts having their axes arranged in par-:illelisrn.

l ig. 2 is a perspective view of the driving element of the couplln Fig.3 is a perspective view of the-transmission element of the coupling.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the driven element of the couplin Referring tothe rawings in detail 1 and .2 denote a pair of pillow blocks, eachhaving its upper end provided with a shaft bearing 3. 4

Reference character 4 denotes a driving shaft which is mounted in thebearing 3 carried by the pillow block 1. and 5.( lenotes a driven shaftjournaled in the bearing 3, carried by the pillow block 2.

Shaft 5 is off-set or cccentrlcally disposed with :respect to the shaft4 but is positioned whereby its axis is parallel with respect to theaxis of the shafts 4, or in othergwords, the axes of the shaft 4, 5, aredisposed in longitudinal planes but in parallelism.

The shaft 4, as well asthc shaft has a longitudinal key-way (3, having akey 7, for a purpose to he presently referred to.

Although the shaft 5 has been termed the driven shaft, yet it is to heunderstood that the shaft 5 .could be the driving shaft and the shaft- 4the driven shaft, the arrangement of shafts as stated is merely set upby way of example.

The coupling consists of a driving element, a transmission element andaidriven clenu-nt, as illustrated, the drivin element is indicated at 8,the transmission edement at 9 and the driven element at 10. Itiwill hestated however, that the element 10 could he the driving element and theshaft 5 the driving shaft and the element 8 the driven element and theshaft 4 the driven shaft.

Driving element 8 consists of a circular dislt of any suitable thicknesshaving its outer face provided with. an integral collar or sleeve 11,which is disposed centrally of the outer face of the disk'and has itsinner face provided with a longitudinal groove 12 adapted to aline withthe groove or key-way (i, in the shaft 4, toreceive the key 7, wherehythe element 8 is fixedly secured to the shaft 4 so that when the latterrevolves the element 8 will'be carried therewith.

The disk forming part of the element 8 is provided with four elongatedslots 13, 14, 15, 16. The slots 13, 14, are arranged parallel to eachother, and also in planes warnllel to the plane of the slots 15, 16, Theslots 15, 16 extend to the same plane, and each of said slots isinterposed between the The nuts 36 are 'elements 8 and 10, and providemeans whereasis 0f the element 8 and the edge of said disk. The slots15,16

The inner face of the disk of the element 8 is provided with a air ofelongatedparallel grooves 17, 18, w iich provide ball races for hearingballs 19.

The driven element 10 is constructed in a 'manner similar to the drivenelement 8,

that the slots 20 21, 22, 23, are disposed in planes at'right angles tothe planes of the slots 13 to 16 inclusive,

and that the grooves 24, 25, on the innerface of the element 10, whichform. ball races for hearing balls 26, are disposed in planes at rightangles with respect to the planes of the grooves 17, 18.

The transmission element 9 consists of a circular disk of ,the desiredthickness arid which has projecting from one face a series of e uallyspaced studs whic has projecting from its other face a series of e uallyspaced studs 31, 32, 33, 34.

30 inclusive extend re- The stuts 27 to spectively through the slots 13to 16 inelusive, and the studs 31 32, 33, 34 inclusive extendrespectively through the slots 20 to 23.

Each of the studs have threaded outer ends as at 35 for the reception ofa nut 36. arranged exteriorly of the by the said elements 8 and 10 areconnected to the element 9; One face of the disk of the element 9 isrovided with a pair of grooves 37, 38, w ich oppose respectively thegrooves 17, 18. The said grooves 37, 38 rovide ball races and receivethe bearing bal s 19. Y

The other face of the disk of the element 9 is provided with a pair ofgrooves 39, 40, and which oppose respectively the grooves 24, 25 of theelement 10. The grooves 39, 40 provide ball races and receive thebeariupi balls 26. a he ends of each groove of each of the disks arepositioned inwardly with respect to the ed e of their respective disk,such con itions providing stops to arrest outward movement of thebearing balls mounted in said grooves.

The transmission element 9, when the coupling is set up, alternatelyshifts parallel to the elements 8 and 10, and during one revolutionthereof, during periods of 90- degiees, will altcrnatcl be disposedcom-entrically or eccentrica ly with respect to the elements 8 and 10.When concentrically disposed to the driving element it is taking 27, 28,29, 30, andunder power therefrom and when concentrically disposed to thedriven element it is transforming power to said element.

The element 9 is driven from the element. 10 through the medium ofthebearing balls 19 and studs 27 to 30 and the element 10 is driven fromthe element 9 through the medium of the bearing balls 26 and studs 31 to34. I

The bearing balls 19, 26, not only act to revent thrust, as well as adriving means, out also reduce friction to a minimum during movement ofthe element 9 parallel to said disks p the inner face of-the elements 8and 10.

A suitable case' to inclosc the coupler for kceping'out foreignsubstances and also to act as a lubricant container is employed. andsaid case consists of a body portion 41 having one end ,closed throughthe medium of a removable disk 42, the latter has threaded en agemcntwith the body ort-ion 41.

he case incloscs the coup er and one end thereof is fixed to the sleeve11 of the driven member. The sleeve 11 of the driving mem- ,ber revolveswithin thedisk 42.

The com ,nsating coupling device as described an illustrated provides aconvenient means of operating a pair of shafts when disposedeccentrieally with respect to each other and also provides means forcoupling elements eccentricallydisposed relative to each other.

What I claim is:

1. A coupling for the purpose set forth comprising a pair of outerdisks, each of rovided with slots, the slots in disposed atan angle withone disk being respect to the slots in the other 'disk, an

intermediate disk interposed between said to the inner faces of saidouter dis 5,

outer disks and capable of shifting arallei anc means carried by theintermediate disk and extending through the slots of the outer disks forslidably connecting the intermediate and outer disks together.

2. A coupling for the purpose set forth comprising a pair of outer isks,each of said disks provided with slots, the slots in one disk beingdisposed at an angle with respect to the slots in the other disk, anintermediate disk interposed between said outer disks and capable ofshifting parallel to the inner faces of said outer disks, and meanscarried by the intermediate disk and extendin through the slots of theouter disks for shdablv connecting the intermediate and outer diskstogether, anti-friction bearings interposed between said intermediatedisks and said outer disks. the bearings between the intermediate diskand one outer disk traveling at an" angle with respect to the directionof travel of the bearings between the inner disk and the other outerdisk.

3. A coupling for the purpose set forth comprising a slotted drivingclenrient, a

slotted driven element, slots in the latter element disposed at an anglewith respect to the slots in the first mentioned element, a transmissionelement arra ed between said drivin element and said driven element andshiftab le parallel in o posite directions with respect to the inner aceof the driven and drivin elements, and means extending throug thetransmission element, through the slots of the driving and drivenelements and slidabl connecting the transmission element to e drivingand driven elements.

4. A eoupling for the purpose set forth comprising a driving element, adriven element, a transmission element arranged between said drivingelement and said driven element and shiftable parallel to the innerfaces of said driving and driven elements, and means carried by thetransmission element and extending through and slidable in the drivingand driven elements for slidably connecting the transmission element tothe driving and driven elements, whereby the driven element is operatedfrom the driving element through said means and transmission element.

5. Acou lingfior the purpose set forth comprising a rivmg element, adriven element, a transmission element arranged between said drivinelement and said driven element and shlftable parallel to the inner faceof said driving and driven elements, means carried by the transmissionelement and extending through the driving and driven elements forslidably connecting the transmission element to the driving and drivenelements, anti-friction means interposed between said transmissionelement and said driving element, and anti-friction means interposedbetween said transmission element and said driven element.

.6. A coupling for the purpose set forth eomprisin a slotted drivingelement, a slotted driven element, the slots in the driven elementdisposed at an angle with i respect to the slots in the drivin atransmission element arrange between said drivin element and drivenelement and shiftab 0 parallel to the inner faces of the driving anddriven elements, and studs carried by the transmission elements andprojecting through each face thereof and extending through the slots ofthe driving and driven ele ents for slidably connecting therewith thetransmission element.

In testimony whereof Iaflii; my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

HARRY JAMES WATTS. Witnesses:

Cans. J. \VA'rrs,

Max H. Snonovrrz.

element,

